CV NEWS FEED // On Thursday morning, a grand jury indicted Democratic New York City Mayor Eric Adams on five corruption charges. Adams rebuked calls from members of his own party for him to resign, dismissing the federal charges leveled against him as “based on lies.”
Over the previous several months, the Biden-Harris administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) has been looking into allegations that Adams illegally accepted campaign funding from Turkey.
During the past year, Adams had established a national reputation as a rare example of an elected Democrat who was sharply critical of the administration, particularly on the issue of immigration.
CNN reported Thursday that the embattled mayor “has been indicted on five federal charges related to bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy and soliciting campaign contributions from foreign nationals.”
Per CNN, the 57-page indictment “alleges illegal actions stretching back to 2014, from when he was Brooklyn Borough president.”
The New York Post called the indictment against Adams “historic,” noting that it is “the first for a sitting New York City mayor.”
The DOJ’s indictment states: “For nearly a decade, ADAMS has used his prominent positions in New York City government to obtain illegal campaign contributions and luxury travel.”
>> SEPTEMBER: ADAMS ADMIN UNDER FIRE BY THE FBI <<
“To conceal this criminal conduct, ADAMS took steps to hide his receipt of improper benefits from the public and law enforcement,” the indictment adds:
By 2018, ADAMS—who had by then made known his plans to run for Mayor of New York City—not only accepted, but sought illegal campaign contributions to his 2021 mayoral campaign from foreign nationals, as well as other things of value. As ADAMS’s prominence and power grew, his foreign-national benefactors sought to cash-in on their corrupt relationships with him, particularly when it became clear that ADAMS would become New York City’s mayor in 2021.
After his inauguration as Mayor of New York City, ADAMS soon began preparing for his next election, including by planning to solicit more illegal contributions and granting requests from those who supported his 2021 mayoral campaign with such donations.
>> JUNE: GRAND JURY LOOKING INTO CORRUPTION ALLEGATIONS AGAINST ADAMS <<
Adams dismissed the DOJ’s indictment, arguing it was predicated on falsehoods. He stressed that he intends to remain in office and “fight” his multiple charges.
“It is now my belief that the federal government intends to charge me with crimes,” the mayor said in a Thursday morning video message to New York City residents. “If so, these charges would be entirely false, based on lies. But they would not be surprising.”
“I always knew that if I stood my ground for all of you, I would be a target,” Adams went on. “And a target I became.”
The mayor resolved to “fight these injustices with every ounce of my strength and my spirit.”
“I know I’m innocent,” he said. “But I have been facing these lies for months. Since I began to speak out for all of you, and their investigation started.”
“Make no mistake, you elected me to lead this city, and lead it I will,” Adams emphasized, confirming he has no plans to resign in the wake of his indictment.
However, some of Adams’ fellow New York Democrats do not share his sentiment.
Hours before the DOJ’s indictment of Adams was unsealed, far-left Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, called for her mayor to resign, “For the good of the city.”
“I do not see how Mayor Adams can continue governing New York City,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X (formerly Twitter) Wednesday afternoon. “The flood of resignations and vacancies are threatening gov function. Nonstop investigations will make it impossible to recruit and retain a qualified administration.”
Ocasio-Cortez’s entire Congressional district is in New York City and covers parts of the boroughs of Queens and the Bronx.
Adams currently has four viable challengers in the Democratic primary of next year’s mayoral contest, City Comptroller Brad Lander, Lander’s predecessor former Comptroller Scott Stringer, and a pair of state senators – Jessica Ramos, D-Queens, and Zellnor Myrie, D-Brooklyn.
All four challengers are Ocasio-Cortez allies.
Ramos and Myrie were both first elected to the state senate in 2018 after running to the left of incumbent moderate Democrats in their seats’ respective primaries.
On Thursday, Axios reported that Democratic former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo – who led the state for a decade – is also interested in challenging Adams.
Cuomo served as governor from 2011 to 2021, when he resigned in disgrace following a sexual harassment scandal and allegations that his administration’s COVID policies led to thousands of deaths in New York nursing homes.
>> SEPTEMBER 2023: ADAMS DOES A FULL 180 ON MIGRATION <<
One year ago, CatholicVote reported that Adams, “who once supported mass immigration, dramatically reversed his position” at a town hall meeting.
“Never in my life have I had a problem that I did not see an ending to,” Adams said at the September 2023 meeting, referring to the surging number of illegal migrants pouring into New York City. “I don’t see an ending to this.”
CatholicVote noted later the same month that Adams “sharply criticized President Joe Biden for refusing to meet with him to discuss New York’s ongoing migrant crisis during the president’s visit to the city.”
Two months later, in November 2023, the mayor declared that the Biden-Harris administration “has abandoned us, and they need to be paying their cost to this national problem.”
The post Dem NYC Mayor Adams indicted by DOJ for corruption, vows to stay in office and ‘fight’ appeared first on CatholicVote org.
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